


Ryder and Revenge

by Secrettheorist22



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Captivity, Explosions, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, Revenge, Torture, Trauma, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:20:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25732000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secrettheorist22/pseuds/Secrettheorist22
Summary: Sara Ryder finds herself in the middle of a plot against the Initiative. Someone wants her out of the way, and someone else just wants revenge. Can the Pathfinder's team stop the plans of an unknown enemy before its too late, or will they success and destroy what hopes of new life they've already accomplished.
Relationships: Cora Harper/Male Ryder | Scott, Peebee/Female Ryder | Sara
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. Things You Shouldn't Do

**Author's Note:**

> Simple exploration gone wrong. New foes arrive and the plan is in motion.

Months after the defeat of the Archon everything seemed so quiet. The outposts were being settled and the viability of the Golden World’s got better each day, but for the Pathfinder, work always had to be done.

The Kett still controlled territories and the Angara still demanded answers about their origins. Roakaar all broke apart after Akksul swapped sides and no one had seen them since. Sloane still ruled the Slums and everyone in the Nexus still refuses to get along, especially Tann and Addison. Remnant weren’t exactly a problem anymore but a few sites still held active ones that caused trouble.

Thankfully though, it was not all work and no play. A lot of things settled into some normalcy. Kosta started a sports league with colonists on Eos and the Nexus. Cora still worked on accomplishing her goals for a garden. Scott joined the Tempest crew and was able to help Sara with advice, if she could get him away from Cora for a few moments. Jaal helped with the alliance between our people and the Angara. Lexi and Suvi dove head first into some science stuff no one knew how to ask about. Vetra smuggled still and Peebee worked tirelessly on deciphering the remnant world. Sara? Sara just liked to relax when she could and enjoy their new world, her new normal.

“Pathfinder, my scanners are picking up Remnant activity in a nearby remnant site.” SAM blared out.

“What do you mean Remnant activity? We haven’t seen Remnant in weeks, there is no way that’s what it is.” Ryder couldn’t help but double check her sidearm and keep walking to the location SAM pinged. She had ventured out to get some fresh, dusty, Eos air. If there was Remnant back Peebee would like to know.  _ Peebee, gods that woman is the death of me.  _ As Sara kept walking she spotted the location SAM pinged and it was a small cave. If Remnant were still on Eos they could be there. Sara didn’t remember exploring a place like this before so anything could be in that cave, and she was alway one for adventure.

“The signal is getting stronger, Pathfinder, should I call the others for assistance?”

SAM and his assistance. Ryder rolled her eyes as she readied herself for anything that might happen, “No SAM, I got it. It’s probably just a few anyway, no need to...worry…” She paused as she went in and looked around. There was no remnant there, nothing was there except a small entryway near the back of the single roomed cave. “SAM there is nothing here, are you sure this is the place?”

“Yes, Pathfinder. I advise caution.” Sara chuckled to herself but heeded his advice and never lowered her guard. The coast seemed clear but SAM’s scanners hadn’t been wrong in a long time.

“I’ll check it out, but I’m not seeing…Woah.” And there it was, exactly what was messing up SAMs scanners, A Data Core. “I thought we got them all. SAM, do you see this? It’s a data core but it’s…bigger than any of the others we’ve found. Peebee will want to see this.”

“Pathfinder, the readings of the core is highly unstable. I do not suggest touching it.”

“Blah blah, come on SAM it’s like a hunk of metal it can’t be  _ that _ unstable.” Ryder insisted as she studied it closer. “It doesn’t look dangerous…”

“Pathfinder, I am—"

Sara couldn’t help but ignore SAM like she usually did and picked it up carefully off it’s ominous pedestal. “See it’s just a hunk of—” as soon as the words came out it lit up sending a flash of light blinding her. Not only could she not see but from the chemical components that caused the flash, they seeped out onto her hands melting her armor and burned through it like molten lava searing her hands. Sara dropped it to the ground and that’s when bad became worse. The core started beeping erratically and emitted a loud ear ringing noise. She couldn’t focus enough to move and getting out of the blast radius was the last thing on her mind. Sara couldn’t see and now she couldn’t even think straight, pain was the only thing at the top of her list. The last thing she remembered before the world seemed to disappear was the ground coming out from under her and the wind against her skin. 

Sara was knocked clear off her feet and back into the cave wall hard.The smell of burnt flesh and the after-scent of an explosion wafted in the air. That was no Remnant Core, but it was way too late to make a different choice. The Pathfinder was out like a light and way off grid. 

[...]

Months, weeks, days he had been planning this. He had pulled every string he had left, contacted every thug, anyone that really wanted this  _ Human _ pathfinder taken care of. That was not his plan, but to get her out of the way a little while was well worth the trouble. And the small chance of some well deserved revenge, he couldn’t pass that up. 

He watched as the explosive device he spent thousands of credits on did its job. A flashbang with a EMP detonator, all in the requested form of a Remnant data core. He thought it was the best way to get the Pathfinder curious enough to be interested. He knew his enemies and he knew Sara. With her showing her love for that blue skinned rebel he knew this was the perfect way to get to her. It was just dumb luck she came alone. Perhaps it was his lucky day, lately luck hadn’t been on his side. The EMP was hopefully designed strong enough to keep that pesky computer in her head out for a while, and if it worked like it should have they’d have plenty of time to take care of her unconscious form with ease. 

“You heard me! Grab her and get her to the shuttle before she wakes up. We need to get off this planet fast before her ‘friends’ come looking.” He brushed one of her stray hairs away from her face as his associates came closer grabbing her up and dragging her away. “Careful, I need her intact for our arrival. I’ve spent too much for this not to go any other way but smoothly. It better go smoothly.”

He stood trying to remove his presence from the cave as Ryder was carried off. He was finally going to get some sort of revenge, and with the benefactors of this wonderful scheme funding him, they were going to have their much needed chaotic window. 


	2. Lost Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAM reports in and the Tempest crew is notified. Can they get to Ryder in time or was it already too late?

Lexi T’Perro had been busier than ever. Samples from Kett were being taken, Angara too, and analyzed for comparison and variations in their DNA. Science was a thing of wonders for her and here in Andromeda there was more than she knew what to do with. She was fascinated with the facts and questions behind the Angara’s origin and when Tann suggested the Pathfinder’s team to head up the investigation she was happier than ever that Ryder accepted. She alway knew this was where she was suppose to be and-

“Dr. T’Perro. I am sorry to disturb you but I have lost connection to the Pathfinder’s implant.” SAM said, interrupting her from her thoughts. She immediately stopped looking at the samples she had and stood up. SAM was never one to really interrupt her unless it was important.

“What do you mean you ‘lost connection’? Do you think it is just a slight malfunction?” She asked with obvious concern behind her words.

“I am unable to determine the cause, but before the severed connection her heart rate inclined as did her pain receptors. I am uncertain of her current condition.” 

Lexi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Ryder was never one to do anything with caution but for her to be reckless enough to damage her implant, was something else entirely, or was Ryder being reckless? “What do you mean you are unsure of her current condition? You should know if she is alright or not, correct?”

“That is correct Dr. T’Perro, but the connection was severed. I am no longer connected to Sara’s implant.” When SAM used her real name it couldn’t be good. “I am trying to access it now but I am unable to do so.”

Lexi moved into action asking for the team to be assembled but then remembered Peebee. She’d do something reckless. She always does something reckless. Those two were just alike. She thought for a hot minute more, then thought it best to talk to Lieutenant Harper, she is not only the next in line for Pathfinder but she would also have some idea of what to do. 

She went and found Cora in her room watering her plants, “Cora, can I speak to you a moment?”

Cora didn’t bother to stop what she was doing, multitasking was always something she was good at, “Yeah, something you need?”

“SAM has told me that Sara has gone missing, her implant has malfunctioned and we cannot reach her.” 

That sure pulled Cora’s attention, “You what? What do you mean you can’t _reach_ her? You can’t pick her up with a comm link, nothing?”

SAM told them both of everything he knew and Cora was honestly unsure of how to handle this. “Well she can’t be dead, or I’d be Pathfinder right?”

“That is correct.” SAM informed them both, “Her last coordinates are not far from the Tempest. My scanners showed Remnant activity, Sara did not see anything other than a Data core similar to the ones in the vaults we have discovered. It was highly unstable but she did not listen, then our connection was lost.”

Cora and Lexi both looked at each other then pulled the location up. “Then I’ll get a team together. We need to get there fast and figure out what happened.”

Cora grabbed a bag and moved to leave as Peebee showed up and stopped her. “Couldn’t help but overhear… but get a team for what?” Peebee interrupted, “Ooh have we actually found something fun to do? More Kett to shoot at? No no let me guess. Low life abandoners on Kadara need taken care of? I don’t really like Kadar--.” 

“It’s nothing you need to be concerned with Peebee.” Cora eventually said to cut her off. “Just a boring patrol, nothing of interest.”  
  
“I believe assistance from Miss B’Sayle would be of value.” SAM insisted.

“See even the all knowing big brother wants my help, so what’s the mission?” Peebee asked, plopping down in a seat blocking the two of them in Cora’s room. “Haven’t got all day right?”

[...]

It was dark, loud, and so many other overwhelming things. Sara had no idea where she was nor did she know what had happened. She felt the sting of her hands and the ringing in her ears as she attempted to open her eyes. That she regretted as bright light entered and made the pounding in her head grow twice as bad. 

Sara mentally begged SAM to tell her what was going on and to make the pain stop. Why was she hurting? She was with Peebee earlier, they were having fun and then. Sara heard the rumbling of voices as she felt like she was moving. She had no idea what they were saying, and at the moment didn’t care. All she knew was pain and the intense heat of Eos on her skin. _Am I dreaming? Some dream if I am. Why is it so dark, and I hurt so much?_

“She’s waking up? No, she’d not supposed to.... Hand my that...Yes you Idiot!” Sara knew that voice, didn’t she? 

With a moan she felt the small touch of leather then a sharp prick. She wasn’t expecting anything good from that as coolness filled her veins then turned warm lulling her further under. The fog she tried to clear from earlier came back. She welcomed it happily and wrapped it around her consciousness like a blanket, a nice warm, non-painful blanket. 

Sara was back under in no time, loaded up and hauled away. Now only a handful of people would know where the Human Pathfinder was, and finding her wouldn’t be easy.

[...]

“Tell me!” Peebee demanded, “If I have to sit on the Tempest any longer or go back to the BORING Nexus I will literally die? Also where is Ryder? We were supposed to have--”

“Peebee stop please. It’s...It _is_ Ryder. We lost contact with her and we needed to go after her before something--” 

Lexi had tried to break it to her easily but when Cora cut them both off they realized they really didn’t have time to discuss. “We don’t have time for this, come or don’t come. Sara needs us and we don’t have any time to waste.” Cora quickly grabbed her rifle and took off out the door to get Liam and the Nomad. They needed to go after her now, every moment mattered. _I hope we aren’t too late._

Peebee sat there as she watched Cora slide past, unable to move for a minute before she felt Lexi’s hand on hers, “We will find her Peebee, I know we will.”

The moment of comfort was taken away quickly as Peebee looked at her coldly and moved to the door, “You should have told me _first_!” She blurted out, “Now we wasted too much time talking about things that didn’t matter.”

“Miss B’Sayle, we had the Pathfinder--.” 

“SHUT UP SAM! You should have come to me FIRST, and you...you should…” she sighed before walking away, “You better hope we find her.”

[...]

Cora led the group to the coordinates SAM gave them and they took the Nomad there in a hurry. When they arrived Kosta and Vetra stayed behind for cover and Cora led behind Peebee as she went ahead as usual without thinking. It wouldn’t do any good to stop her, but Cora could watch her back. Once she was in, she scanned the area for Ryder, for anything. “I don’t see her….see _anyone_!” Peebee looked around more frantically before seeing the shattered pieces of the Remnant tech. She didn’t even care about the pieces of junk. “Where is she?” 

“My scanners showed a signal similar to that of the Remnant, but my readings were inaccurate.” SAM said as Peebee took a closer look.

She knew this wasn’t Remnant tech, “Well then you really must be malfunctioning because this isn’t even close to Rem tech.” She kicked the pieces, “So they are useless.”

Cora rolled her eyes as she came up and took a few pieces in her hand then looked around a bit more, “I think it was something else too, SAM can you tell us anything? Particles in the air or something crazy about these pieces? It was clearly a trap.” 

“Yes Lieutenant Harper, one moment. There appears to be elevated levels of a compound similar to those found in explosives.”

Cora looked through the rubble of the device and knew whoever put this together knew what they were doing. It was complex, even accurate in its appearance to look like actual Rem tech, to a point, and someone who wasn’t Peebee.

Peebee on the other hand didn’t like that thought of that. Ryder had her enemies but for someone to go to this length to get at her was frightening. 

“Over here!” Vetra called out as she pointed to a part in the cave wall that was scratched up and chunks of rock had broken off and laid in a pile. She even found a small piece of her armor. “I think Ryder was thrown over here. Tracks lead that way and... it looks like they...well they dragged her.”

Peebee looked over, “So...they...moved her? Where did they take her? SAM do you have _anything_ on her? A location? Anything?” She was panicking at this point. How could she have let this happen to Sara. _I should have been there_. She fought the Archon, came back from the dead, now she had been kidnapped and who knows what else. “Are you positive she’s not...she’s..not...”

“I am certain that the Pathfinder is still alive, as for her whereabouts, I am unable to determine that.”  
  
“Of course you are. You are _useless_!” Peebee shouted out and grabbed up the pieces of Remnant tech and headed out to Nomad to leave. She’d figure this out without them, without any of them.


End file.
